A Holiday Roundup: Game of Thrones makes it into even more ‘Best of’ lists!

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Game of Thrones has made it into a fair few ‘Best of’ lists, whether they are celebrating season eight’s achievements in the context of 2019 TV or the show as a whole for lists encompassing the entire last decade. Now, truly at the end of the year, there’s been an explosion of such lists and of course Game of Thrones can be found in most of them!

We already covered TVLine’s best deaths and sexiest scenes of 2019, but since then this ‘tits and dragons’ show has made it into more: Jaime knighting Brienne as one of 2019’s “Best Quotes” (that’s one of our award nominees too! Go vote!); Brienne and Jaime’s embrace as “Best First Kiss”; the episode in which all of the aforementioned happens, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” as the “Best Bottle Episode”; the Battle of Winterfell as “TV Event That Lived Up to the Hype”; Daenerys celebrating the defeat of King’s Landing, with Drogon’s wings behind her turning her into a true dragon, as one of the “The Coolest TV Scenes of 2019”; Jon killing Daenerys as one of “Best Plot Twists”; and, in very much the same vein, Daenerys as one of the TV characters this year to have a “Horrible Year”… can’t argue with that! The series finale by itself, however, got a C.

Season eight is one of Gamesradar’s “25 Best TV Shows of 2019”. At the #21 spot, it’s pointed out that, though “a bit rushed,” it was still “spectacular stuff.”

Cersei 610 Season 6 Throne

In Variety’s “25 Best TV Shows of the Decade”, Game of Thrones takes the #16 spot, as “the ultimate and perhaps final example of a consensus TV hit in the era of the fragmented audience,” and “a show that stands in for its era.” It was also celebrated in their “Best Episodes of the Decade” list, with Blackwater, the show’s first battle episode and first location-contained episode as well, which makes it stand out even today.

As for their “Best TV Performances of the Decade”, it’s difficult to argue with Variety‘s choice, even though Thrones had such a fantastic (and gigantic) cast: Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister stands not only for the show but for herself, as she “ported in sharp, askew humor as well as real fear” to a character that could’ve just been the stereotypical evil queen. “This monster was, at every moment, human,” as they put it.

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Thrones is also one of People’s “Best TV Shows of the Decade”, with its impact on the medium being highlighted in particular, as “entertainment writers have been vigilantly scouting for whatever new series could be billed as ‘the next Game of Thrones.'”

Tell-Tale TV admits it “struggles a bit in its final seasons” once there was no more source material “but it also set an impossibly high bar of success for future cable dramas to aspire to,” became “the last broadly appealing, culturally unifying water cooler show we see for a while”, and “brought fantasy television into the mainstream.”

Popsugar calls Game of Thrones one of their favorite TV dramas of the past decade, as “a worldwide phenomenon” that “solidified fantasy as a great TV genre.”

Game of Thrones is named one of the shows that shaped the decade at GQ, who highlight, as many others have, that the show was the last bastion of appointment TV: “With the rise of the binge-watch, this was the decade that we did away with appointment viewing—except when it came to dragons, dwarfs, and zombies.”

According to Vulture, it was “without question, the TV juggernaut of the 2010s and the show that captured the public’s imagination more than any other.” Despite an “uneven final season,” a fact remains: “While a lot of shows have tried to be the next Game of Thrones (and many more will try in the decade-to-come), there is only one true king.”

Bran Stark King Red Keep King's Landing Season 8 806 Iron Throne Podrick Brienne Bronn Tyrion

RollingStone places Thrones as the 15th best show of the decade and points out that its “sheer ambition, and its ability to most of the time keep all of its disparate threads feeling vital and tied to one another, remains a staggering achievement.”

Much broader than most, Refinery29′s listicle, “Top Pop Culture Moments of the Last Decade”, still manages to name Game of Thrones as the “top pop culture” thing for four different years: 2011, for its premiere; 2013, for the Red Wedding; 2015, for Jon Snow’s death; and, in much less positive terms, 2019 for its controversial final season.

Dan Weiss and David Benioff’s show makes it to the TOP 5 in USA Today’s “Best TV Shows of the 2010s”, focusing on the “impeccable acting, gorgeous costuming and an expansion of our collective ideas about what TV can achieve.”

Also as the fifth best TV show this decade, at Decider Meghan O’Keefe claims that “though its final season left a sour taste in many viewers’ mouths, Game of Thrones redefined what television could be in the 2010s,” and that “there’s no way to talk about TV in the 2010s without bending the knee for the awesome power of Game of Thrones.”

At The Hollywood Reporter, it was less of an editorial affair and more of a poll: more than 3,500 members of the film and TV academies and other industry sources were asked to pick their favorite shows of the decade, and Game of Thrones got the top spot, winning over nineteen other worthy entries, including Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Downton Abbey, Stranger Things, Fleabag, The Americans, Black Mirror, Fargo, and many others.

Finally, at CNET, the HBO series was named their most influential TV show of the decade! Beating the likes of Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Walking Dead, Downton Abbey, Stranger Things, Modern Family, Westworld, True Detective, Rick and Morty, The Expanse and many others, Game of Thrones is justly described as “a televisual juggernaut, the absolutest of absolute units when it comes to television in the 2010s.”

Targaryen Fleet, Daenerys, Tyrion, Missandei, The Winds of Winter

That’s it! 2019 is almost over and so is the decade (not technically, but let’s go with it, okay?), and Game of Thrones defined both more than most any other piece of art or entertainment one could think of. Yes, it’s all over, but our memories remain–and, of course, we’ve got the books and House of the Dragon to look forward to. Let’s hope the 2020’s are even half as amazing as the 2010’s were for this fandom!

131 Comments

  1. Unbelievable how some of these don’t want to grant Mr. Benioff and Mr. Weiss work and success
    with Game of Thrones. I’ve never heard from most of the shows. What a joke.

  2. Ok getting a bit dizzy with all the lists.

    Quick final HDM derailment for those interested. I just finished the finale. I thought the finale started very slow but had some great and upsetting moments. I’m all in for season 2 but I had some Game of Thrones Season 6 No One Mark Mylod type of problems that really bugged me

    So there was a major cliff hanger at the end of episode 6 when Lyra falls out of the balloon. So how is she going to survive? You have to figure she survives or there is no show and we already know it’s supposed to last 3 seasons. So we start episode 7 with Lyra in the snow holding her side. She’s perfectly fine and we don’t even have a Lady Crane who gave her some bad boyfriend surgery. The balloon had to at least be 100 feet up if not a thousand feet up. Even if there was a convenient ledge she fell on, it seems like it would have at least been a 30 to 50 foot fall. The shot at the end of episode 6 showed her falling what looked like a long way down!! It just made no sense at all unless someone else picked up something I missed. Did I miss something? I hope so. This was really even worse for me than Arya surviving the Waif stabbing.

    I was shocked with what happened to the characters in the finale. There was a shocking death similar to how GOT shocked us with Shireen.

    Who we think are the good guys/girls and bad guys/girls gets turned around in the finale. That was pretty interesting.

    So I’m about 1/2 way through the Witcher season. There are a few GOT parallels but the tone is more on the silly side but still pretty awesome to watch.

    That’s about it for my derailment. I’m hoping for the GOT season 8 dvd set for the holidays so I will have lots of GOT to discuss again if that happens in regards to quality of episode 3 and more.

  3. Tron79,

    re:HDM, that struck me as incredibly odd too… I read an explanation somewhere on Reddit, that where she landed softend her fall, but…

    It happened a bit differently in the books — the entire balloon was already in freefall, I believe, and when Lyra was thrown out of it, she didn’t fall from as great a height (ie…. the sky…) and landed in a snowbank. Here’s the passage:

    “The cliff-ghasts are attacking. We’ll bring the balloon to the ground, and then we must defend ourselves. They’re—”

    But Lyra didn’t hear the rest of what she said, because there was a rending, ripping sound, and everything tilted sideways. Then a terrific blow hurled the three humans against the side of the balloon where lorek Byrnison’s armor was stacked, lorek put out a great paw to hold them in, because the basket was jolting so violently. Serafina Pekkala had vanished. The noise was appalling: over every other sound there came the shrieking of the cliff-ghasts, and Lyra saw them hurtling past, and smelled their foul stench.

    Then there came another jerk, so sudden that it threw them all to the floor again, and the basket began to sink with frightening speed, spinning all the while. It felt as if they had torn loose from the balloon, and were dropping unchecked by anything; and then came another series of jerks and crashes, the basket being tossed rapidly from side to side as if they were bouncing between rock walls.

    The last thing Lyra saw was Lee Scoresby firing his long-barreled pistol directly in the face of a “cliff-ghast; and then she shut her eyes tight, and clung to lorek Byrnison’s fur with passionate fear. Howls, shrieks, the lash and whistle of the wind, the creak of the basket like a tormented animal, all filled the wild air with hideous noise.

    Then came the biggest jolt of all, and she found herself hurled out altogether. Her grip was torn loose, and all the breath was knocked out of her lungs as she landed in such a tangle that she couldn’t tell which way was up; and her face in the tight-pulled hood was full of powder, dry, cold, crystals—

    It was snow; she had landed in a snowdrift. She was so battered that she could hardly think. She lay quite still for several seconds before feebly spitting out the snow in her mouth, and then she blew just as feebly until there was a little space to breathe in.

    Nothing seemed to be hurting in particular; she just felt utterly breathless. Cautiously she tried to move hands, feet, arms, legs, and to raise her head.

    She could see very little, because her hood was still filled with snow. With an effort, as if her hands, feet, arms, legs, and to raise her head.

    She could see very little, because her hood was still filled with snow. With an effort, as if her hands weighed a ton each, she brushed it off and peered out. She saw a world of gray, of pale grays and dark grays and blacks, where fog drifts wandered like wraiths.

    Also — poor Roger (and Lyra) 🙁

  4. Adrianacandle,

    Thanks so much. The book made much more sense.

    In the show it looked like she was falling from much higher and I didn’t get the idea that Lee was taking the balloon lower. I can see that she would be ok landing in a big snow drift if the balloon was already almost on the ground. I didn’t even see a snow drift in the show. She was just on a ledge that looked kind of rocky with some snow on it. Oh well. What happened to Roger and his daemon was hard to take and I didn’t see Lyra’s father that way until the end
  5. I love that the leftovers get so much recognition and placed many times at nr 1 or 2. I always though that they didn’t get the recognition they deserved but they got it. For me one of the best all time (and of the last decade), still miss that show. And it had one of the most brilliant finals I ever saw. Loved it.

    And I agree with what they say about GoT (even when I suspect that some feel like D&D are getting attacked), but they seem all to state it’s rushed, last season not on par with the first 7, and that the final itself was named by many “terrible”. But still they praised GoT into their topXX that shows that they still are as objective as objective you can be, else why put a show you clearly disliked the last season into your topXX of the century.

    But I’m missing two show in it, Showtime’s Shameless. I think it’s one of those unique shows with their own hardcore fanbase (even when not that big), I don’t think I can compare a show with that show that is even on par with the quality of that show (even when the last couple of seasons are not as great at the first). The characters are great.

    And Sons of Anarchy (or did I read over it?), I think this is one of the best character driven shows ever produced, and the action in it felled great how they did it. It’s one of those shows that you really care about the character and feel what they are going through. It’s a dark show, which can be too much for some. The final season was a emotional dark roller coaster. With one of the most daring final seasons of the decade and with a perfect final, it literally ended how it should have ended, even when I would not have guessed it would end like that. It was a true bittersweet ending. Brilliant.

    The LightKing:
    Unbelievable how some of these don’t want to grant Mr. Benioff and Mr. Weiss work and success
    with Game ofThrones. I’ve never heard from most of the shows. What a joke.

    Stop whinging, that they state that they felled the last season was rushed, and the final was in their words terrible, doesn’t mean they don’t grant Benioff and Weiss nothing. They even stated their succes of their work with the big fandom. And they grand GoT a place in their TOPXX which means that they gave grant them their success off their works.

    And if you didn’t saw those shows, you can’t make your objective opinion about it, maybe they are shit, maybe they aren’t and maybe they are one of the best shows that was ever made. I didn’t watch half of the shows in that list, but that doesn’t mean that they are bad, I watched many shows long after they aired their last episode (like sopranos) and some even went into my favorite list, that you don’t know them doesn’t mean anything.
    And for me the shows that I watched that were in the list, I think they belong their.

  6. Tron79,

    I heard that with that season the last half is better than the first half. Don’t know if it’s right. I wait till I played all the 3 games and read the books. (which take a while). And I want to know that netflix isn’t getting bankrupt in 2020.

    As for HDM there is a chance I get the book (all 3 books are made into one big book of 1000+ pages) for christmas.

    Adrianna, if they made HDM true to the books (as I read season 1 was as close as could be), how many seasons will there be of HDM?
    Do you expect they will film the other 3 books?

  7. kevin1989,

    (Re: Sons of Anarchy) ”With one of the most daring final seasons of the decade and with a perfect final, it literally ended how it should have ended, even when I would not have guessed it would end like that. It was a true bittersweet ending. Brilliant.”

    Congratulations! You’ve won the Trifecta! “Literally” + ”bittersweet” + “brilliant.”

    (You know I’m just kidding, right?)

  8. kevin1989,

    You should learn how to read correctly. They don’t grant any success to Mr. Benioff and Mr. Weiss. That’s a fact. These snops are just as hypocritical as this fandom. It is exactly the same as with Hardhome, Battle of the Bastards and Winds of Winter. People only praised the actors, the director and Ramin for his score. Mr. Benioff and Mr. Weiss didn’t get any recognition for this episodes. It was not the writing of Mr. Benioff and Mr. Weiss but Miguels Sapochnik directing that made the episodes great. But I don’t expect something rational from this fandom and internet snops anymore.

  9. Benioff and Mr. Weiss. That’s a fact. These snops are just as hypocritical as this fandom..
    …But I don’t expect something rational from this fandom and internet snops.”

    What the f*ck’s a “snop’”?
    – S.C.

  10. Showrunner of Mr. Robot called GOT the Star Wars of television. And it absolutely is. It changed the game forever.

  11. Ten Bears,

    I tried my very best to sneak it in all 3, but you noticed it directly 😉

    The LightKing,

    They are more rational than some “season 8 was brilliant” fans. And they don’t just praise the actors, even some praised that D&D did a great job over the course of the whole show (only not season 8 but maybe you meant how people perceived season 8 not the whole show). I read them all (those in the links), and they are no snobs, or irrational. they are stating what they perceived, some will agree with them, some don’t. But the way you react to it right now is very irrational, if reviews, fandom etc don’t praise D&D for the gods they seem to be in your eyes you get all snobby and make passive aggressive comments about them. And it’s not healthy if opinions of others make you feel angry or anything like that, trust me that only will make life harder. Just relaxted and enjoy.

    And to come back to GoT itself. There are many shows out there that are greatly written (yes D&D are great writers), but what for me what made GoT so amazing, was the writing of GRRM put on screen (which D&D did perfectly, especially season 1 till 4 in my opinion) but more-over it was everything else. The actors that were chosen, even the child-actors were great. Even more important was the rest that remains. The music, what Ramin did with his music was just perfect, you feel directly about which character the scene is with it’s music. From Stark to Targ to Lannister to White Walker etc. Even more important is for me the costumes, the locations, the sets, the VFX etc. They are what GoT really made that big. If you see a shot of GoT you really feel it’s unique and a real world. That for me is what GoT make such an unique show. I mean they could just make a show where we follow Arya and the hound together for 10 seasons, and it could be boring storywise. But I would watch it if it means we get the livid world of Planetos in return for it.

    mau,

    Long time no see Mau, hopefully you will have a nice Christmas. 😀 Maybe even a nice GoT related present under the Christmas three.

  12. kevin1989,

    ”…I mean they could just make a show where we follow Arya and the hound together for 10 seasons, and it could be boring storywise…”

    I’d pay good money to see that.
    And it wouldn’t be boring!

  13. Ten Bears,

    Sorry Ten bears, it would literally be brilliant of course.

    Well it could still be made of course, sequel with Arya around Planetos, what’s west of Westeros. With the hound with her, as Obi Wan was with Luke after he died.

    Would be nice if she stumbled apon Asshai and we would see that first hand.

  14. kevin1989,

    No news here anymore and I was all about Star Wars in the last couple of weeks 😀

    I liked The Rise of Skywalker. Much better experience than The Last Jedi. Shame JJ didn’t make the entire trilogy.

  15. Tron79,

    I love how Arya looks at peace there, she’s glad her big brother is home.

    Ten Bears,

    Arya Stark, facechanger, killer of Frey’s, Slayer of Night King’s, the princess who was promised and knower of killers.

    mau,

    I really want to see that movie, hope I can convince my partner to go this friday, but after the whole commitments with holidays, it’s also nice to be home one evening after all those days.

  16. Tron79,

    In the show it looked like she was falling from much higher and I didn’t get the idea that Lee was taking the balloon lower. I can see that she would be ok landing in a big snow drift if the balloon was already almost on the ground. I didn’t even see a snow drift in the show. She was just on a ledge that looked kind of rocky with some snow on it. Oh well. What happened to Roger and his daemon was hard to take and I didn’t see Lyra’s father that way until the end

    I didn’t get the impression Lee was taking the balloon lower either. I know it was attacked but it didn’t seem to be falling the way it’s described in the books and Lyra looked as if she fell from the sky rather than while they’re approaching the ground at a rapid pace. I kind of balked at that cliffhanger. I knew Lyra wasn’t going to die but I wondered how she could survive that?? Admittedly, it didn’t bother me too much, I’m happily along for the ride 🙂

    And yeah, I just saw Lyra fall into a snowy cavern, nothing that would break such a giant fall with only minor (at most) injury.

    Re:Asriel, Roger, Lyra. Yeah! I remember being shocked when I read that part years ago!

    I find the interesting thing about Asriel and Mrs Coulter is that they both have such divergent beliefs (pro-dust, anti-dust, ideas that information should be free and open, ideas that information should be closed and controlled by a select few) but very very similar methods — right down to how they deal with their daughter. Both gave up the choice to raise Lyra but both are dedicated to keeping her safe. Both are just fine with sacrificing other children and will willingly do so in order to further their goals — as long as that child isn’t Lyra. All three (Asriel, Coulter, and Lyra) are awesome at lying and are quite charismatic (I think this is more apparent with the book’s version of Coulter and perhaps with Kidman’s Coulter in the film. Ruth Wilson plays Mrs Coulter really, really well, and I like the resemblance between her and Dafne Keen, but the TV series seems to highlight Coulter’s unhinged side a bit more. In the books and the film (though the film is quite sloppily written IMO), Mrs Coulter is the epitome of charm and grace with her evil and cruelty hiding behind her appealing facade. Still, maybe I’m wrong with how the TV portrays Coulter — I’m not sure how TV-only viewers see Coulter? How do you view her?).

    I’m glad the show made the decision to start Will’s storyline now and allow us to get to know him and his arc from the start 🙂

    I’m so sad S1 of HDM is over already 🙁

  17. Adrianacandle:
    Tron79,

    I’m so sad S1 of HDM is over already

    Regarding Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel…

    I was shocked with myself that I saw Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel as very similar characters by the end of the finale. I had thought of Mrs. Coulter as the bad guy/gal and Lord Asriel as one of the good guys up until then. It sounds like you were similarly shocked in the books. I found Mrs. Coulter more sympathetic in the finale. As a show only watcher so far, I see the story as very allegorical in nature. I think Pullman is illustrating how people can do evil things, because they believe they are doing the right thing. It’s a show about fanatical behavior and where fanaticism can lead. All that matters is reaching your quest. A few “casualties” along the way are of no consequence if you can advance knowledge in Lord Asreil’s case or avoid a world of sin in Mrs. Coulter’s and the Magisterium’s cases. I thought it was telling when Lord Asriel told the tale of Adam and Eve (the ultimate allegory). I think Pullman sees those in charge of religion as fanatics.

    Back to Mrs. Coulter’s character, I thought we were going to see another Jon Snow killing Dany moment. I was thinking Mrs. Coulter was going to pull the trigger “for the good of the world”, since Lord Asreil was now a risk to bring Dust down on the world. I was a bit surprised she let him live, although it was obvious how much she cared for him.
    I saw Mrs. Coulter as much more sympathetic as her deamon began to warm up to Lord Asreil and she had the speech about wanting to be a mother to Lyra. In the show, she thinks quickly and knows how to gain leverage over the Magistarium.

    The interesting part for me is that it’s not so simple that good is fighting against evil. It’s the misguided religious fanatics battling the misguided science fanatics. I’m not sure where Mrs. Coulter falls. I think she falls somewhere in between. She’s not totally on the religious side, but she’s not on the science side either. She seems to buy in to the idea that dust is sin and she wants to make a better world as she sees it. Perhaps Mrs. Coulter is an allegory of what corrupt political power looks like. I’m not totally sure yet, because she does seem to adopt the religious idea that Dust will bring sin.

    I’m sure that just scratches the surface. Much of the story centers around coming of age and what your daemon represents as you transition from childhood to adulthood.

    I do find it interesting to show that adults are very complicated. It’s not so simple that they are either good or evil. They have both elements in them, and somewhere along the way they lose their innocence and their ability to know what’s right. It seems that as a child (at least in Pullman’s opinion), it’s easier to see clearly what’s right and what’s not. As an adult, the bite of the apple gets in the way. Whether it’s a thirst for more knowledge or other desires, the road to goodness gets filled with dust and it’s hard to see your way.

  18. Tron79,

    I will add one more thing about Mrs Coulter.

    The image of her screaming with her mouth wide open communicates that she has become a monster. That was quite a disturbing image. I think she will be pulled back to humanity as she embraces being a mother and her protective side comes out. However I think she’s already gone too far and the monster in her is too much part of her now. Perhaps they will take the religious view that people can ask for forgiveness. But I doubt it. I could see Mrs Coulter sacrificing herself for Lyra in a dangerous situation as a form of redemption but that day is far away and it is probably unlikely to happen.
  19. Tron79,

    I agree with a lot of what you’ve said and I feel Pullman does create a lot of parallels with real-life fanaticism and attempts to police knowledge in order to maintain control. I think Mrs Coulter does believe in science, she is a scientist (this may be more emphasized in the books) and there is some science behind how Dust works in this world (it’s how the alethiometer works for instance) and what impact it has on the workings of this world. Intercision is an experimental procedure that has some scientific basis in how to cleave a child from their daemon. Still, and yes, there’s also a huge belief aspect to it because nobody in the world quite understands what Dust is and the Magisterium now believes Dust is linked to Original Sin as well — or rather, the cause of Original Sin.

    There’s stuff I want to say about Mrs Coulter and Lord Asriel but I don’t want to spoil any future events! You have characters like Buffy, who killed Angel, Jon who killed Dany, despite their love for these people, and Mrs Coulter may have ultimately chosen to stop Lord Asriel (especially given the risk Coulter believes Dust poses and if she’s trying to build a better world for her child and all future generations but she believes Dust threatens that future), despite her personal feelings for him — but she didn’t. At the same time, I think Coulter did make a sacrifice too because I’ve always been kind of under the impression that a part of Mrs Coulter wanted to go with Asriel, despite her thinking that the Magisterium is doing right, but she stays and lets go of a life with Asriel, a life I think part of her wants, for Lyra and for her ideals as represented by the Magisterium and the Church.

    This isn’t the last we’ve heard of Adam and Eve!

    I once heard Pullman describe the transition of growing up as going from innocence to experience and I think that idea aligns with a lot of what you said. Especially when you said, “whether it’s a thirst for more knowledge or other desires, the road to goodness gets filled with dust and it’s hard to see your way.”

    I thought Mrs Coulter was a bit more sympathetic in this episode too — especially when she tells Asriel how she must stay in this world because her child is here. Or when her past choices were brought up. I do think Ruth Wilson is excellent and she does a great job in bringing out the maternal side of Mrs Coulter, a stark contrast to the sadistic child-torturing side of that same character — and that child, her own child, happens to be actively working toward undoing all of her efforts toward [Coulter’s] ideal world.

    In response to your second post, there’s so much I want to say! I urge you to read ahead if you ever feel the desire! 🙂

  20. kevin1989,

    I don’t care what some wannabes say on the Internet. I really don’t care. I’ve seen GoT 6 times and decide for myself how I judge it and don’t look at what anyone says on the Internet because most of it is completely pointless anyway. There some critics that I agree with, some that I don’t agree with but unterstand why someone dislike it, but the most is absolutely ridiculous and nitpicking on a different level. The flaws that GoT has, are the same that every other series also has, same with Season 1-4. For me, there are no big flaws just minor things.

    Take Battle of Bastards and Blackwater as example. Some people criticized that Ramsey should have known about knights of the vale and how they could travel over the country without anyone noticing it. What, happened people called it bad writing and threw shit over Mr. Benioff and Mr. Weiss.

    The Battle of Blackwater had the same scenario. Tywin arrived with the Tyrells and saved the day. Let’s be honest here, Stannis should have known that. Especially Ser Davos and with Melisandre at their side. It is exactly the same but no one criticize that and this is what I mean with hypocrisy in this fandom. But of course, Mr. George RR Martin himself wrote the episode, that can’t be criticized. Same with the plot armour in both episodes, Tyrion should have died. His plot armour was even bigger than Jon’s in Bob.

    Trust me, I watched every show. Breaking Bad, Sopranos, Sons of Anarchy, Vikings, Lost and so on.

  21. The LightKing,

    How did nobody see all those horses? How did they get on the beach? How did Stannis and his men row through all those burning ships in the harbor? Why did none of them have shields? I love the episode but I agree the same criticism can be aimed at that episode as any other battle in the show.

  22. Fireandblood87,

    How did Ser Davos survive this big explosion even though he was standing right next to it? Why didn’t the knight, cut off Tyrions head and where did Podrick suddenly come from to save Tyrion? You see, we can all find “flaws” and start to nitpick when we search for mistakes just like all these internet critics doing it with season 5-8. But I agree, it is still a great episode. This fandom is so hypocritical and that’s a fact an everyone who denies it is a liar.

  23. Adrianacandle,

    So I have an unused Barnes & Noble gift card one of my students gave me. I may just have to get a book set of HDM so I can read them in the offseason! I’m looking at the card now. Should I take the plunge???

    My heart is still with GOT even though I enjoyed season 1 of HDM, and I’m getting a hoot out of Witcher. I have to say I’m not looking for deeper meaning when watching Witcher episodes!

    So, my first thought as I woke up this morning before getting out of bed was about Winds of Winter and if it’s possible it will arrive before the end of 2020. My brain is still very much with GOT. My thought was that perhaps TWOW will be 1500 or 2000 pages. If that’s what it takes to tell the story, then I say just let it happen. I wonder if GRRM is trying to keep it under a certain length or whether he could just write however many pages is takes to get a cut off spot for A Dream of Spring. I think GRRM was bold to say he would only need two more books. After reading them, it feels to me that there could have been at least 3 or maybe 4 more books, if you think that about 1000 pages equals one book. I was also surprised when D&D said they only needed 7 + 6 more episodes to complete the story. Yes it’s important to have goals, but in some ways the story goes where it will. D&D’s decision probably also had to do with other elements, such as thinking the child actors were no longer children and D&D’s luck keeping the cast together would only hold out for so long. Even with a plan, the writing process can take you into worlds you never thought of at the time you wrote your outline. I would love to see a 2000 page TWOW if that’s where there story leads us. I am wishing along with so many others that TWOW arrives by this time next year if not sooner.

    Hanukkah has 8 nights, and we have a family get together this weekend. My wife and I send lists to each other now, since we are both tough to shop for, and the Helen Sloan large photo book was definitely on my list. The photo at the top of this article is probably in the book. Did we have a poll for the best photo of season 8? or the best photo of the series? I hope all of you who celebrate Christmas have a great day today and that your wishes came true. Just don’t use magic to get them since there is always a price.

  24. Tron79,

    So I have an unused Barnes & Noble gift card one of my students gave me. I may just have to get a book set of HDM so I can read them in the offseason! I’m looking at the card now. Should I take the plunge???

    Take the plunge!!!!

    My heart is still with GOT even though I enjoyed season 1 of HDM, and I’m getting a hoot out of Witcher. I have to say I’m not looking for deeper meaning when watching Witcher episodes!

    Definitely! In a way, I feel that way about Buffy and Harry Potter, my first fictional media loves <3
    And I agree, sometimes it's just nice to watch something without having to worry about a deeper meaning 🙂

    So, my first thought as I woke up this morning before getting out of bed was about Winds of Winter and if it’s possible it will arrive before the end of 2020. My brain is still very much with GOT. My thought was that perhaps TWOW will be 1500 or 2000 pages. If that’s what it takes to tell the story, then I say just let it happen. I wonder if GRRM is trying to keep it under a certain length or whether he could just write however many pages is takes to get a cut off spot for A Dream of Spring. I think GRRM was bold to say he would only need to be two more books. After reading them, it feels to me that there could have been at least 3 or maybe 4 more books, if you think that about 1000 pages equals one book.

    The books do seem to be getting longer and longer! I agree with you — ADWD feels very much like a midpoint, with the endings leading to the second part of the story. I think an advantage of the books is that they aren’t as constrained in length as the TV series, which only had (at most) 10 hours a season during the 10-episode seasons.

    I’m also not sure why D&D were so set on 73 episodes. They must have a reason for such a specific number but as to why… I’m not sure. I think some of it probably had to do with the reasons you said and that’s another area that the show must deal with that the books don’t — the cast and crew. It’s an intense show to work on and I doubt it could have gone on for as long as GRRM wanted (13 seasons) because of how intense this show is for both the cast and the crew. Already, 10 years is a long time.

    Happy Hanukkah! (I want the photo book too! I did get the costume book from two of my sisters!)

    I’m afraid I missed my Christmas. I was up all night wrapping gifts and ended up going to bed at 6-7 AM, waking up to a very empty house with celebrations already over ^^;;;;! I got ditched 🙂

    And happy holidays to you too, Tron, and to all of you lovely posters!

    Just don’t use magic to get them since there is always a price.

    I’ve been rewatching Once Upon a Time while I’ve been working on my various projects and I can only hear this phrase in OUAT Rumpelstiltskin’s voice XD

  25. The LightKing,

    Well the thing is, you do care what they think, because the anger in your posts is very noticeable about those critics and fans. But do with it what you want with it, you liked it that should be enough for yourself, being angry at them only comes with a cost of your own health.

    I hope that you had a nice Christmas.

  26. Adrianacandle,

    Adrianna, guess what I got from Christmas?

    The HDM trilogy in one big 1100 page book 😀 I think I will wait till I finished the GoT books. But it’s on my to read list of 2020.

    And I don’t know if you already answered it, but about the show. How many seasons do you think it will get? And do the other 3 books outside the main story be included in the tv show?

  27. So I have an unused Barnes & Noble gift card one of my students gave me.

    First, how is this possible (to still have an unused BN gift card!)

    Second, I discovered another down side to retiring – I no longer get those presents from my students; hand made card often with a gift card or two….:)

  28. ash:
    So I have an unused Barnes & Noble gift card one of my students gave me.

    First, how is this possible (to still have an unused BN gift card!)

    Second, I discovered another down side to retiring – I no longer get those presents from my students; hand made card often with a gift card or two….:)

    Well my wife is a preschool teacher and I asked her if she needed anything for her class and she finally said I could just use it.

    Kevin, Barnes and Noble is a giant bookstore in the USA. They do have games, toys and some GOT stuff Too. I think they are only in the USA and they are one of the last big brick and mortar bookstores still around in this area.

  29. Adrianacandle,

    I’ve been rewatching Once Upon a Time while I’ve been working on my various projects and I can only hear this phrase in OUAT Rumpelstiltskin’s voice XD

    Yeah, I wasn’t thinking specifically of Rumple but he does say that doesn’t he! I watched the series when it first came on and I gave up on it after (I can’t remember how many seasons). It’s a show that both my wife and I could watch together, but we both had enough at some point. That is one of the things very different about GOT, is that I never felt that it went a season too far. I know that was also on D&D’s mind with limiting it to 73 episodes. Also, unfortunately my wife never got into it, so I’m on my own. But tonight my son got me these cool GOT stickers to put on my water bottle or laptop.

    Your story about sleeping through Christmas morning and everyone ditching you has the makings of a great holiday classic. Maybe Toy Story 23 where the Toys don’t realize you’re home. After coming into your room, they decide to hire you to embark on a holiday adventure to rescue Mrs. Potato head’s cousin Vinny from prison in Alabama. Mrs. Potato head would be played by the voice of Marisa Tomei. Whoops, that wouldn’t be totally originally though. Perhaps as you wake up and begin to explore the house, you go into your sister Mariann’s room to find the shoes she borrowed from you. You discover a strange weirwood tree door in the back of Mariann’s closet. The door asks you if you are from the Night’s Watch, and you recite the oath perfectly from memory… Your adventure awaits. You’ll have to write that part. I hope your Christmas turned out to be an awesome adventure!

  30. Tron79,

    I think length of the books is more the publishers than GRRM. 1500 to 2000 pages sounds like its to long for publishers worldwide to print into a single volume book. I think that was the issue with feast. Feast manuscript pages started to surpass storm and the story still wasn’t finished. GRRM decided to split the manuscript goes based on characters and have two books. And dance still had the 2nd most manuscript pages after storm with over 100 pages cut out and moved to winds. I think your estimate of 3 to 4 books to conclude the series is correct.

  31. Stew:
    Tron79,

    I think length of the books is more the publishers than GRRM. 1500 to 2000 pages sounds like its to long for publishers worldwide to print into a single volume book. I think that was the issue with feast.Feast manuscript pages started to surpass storm and the story still wasn’t finished.GRRM decided to split the manuscript goes based on characters and have two books.And dance still had the 2nd most manuscript pages after storm with over 100 pages cut out and moved to winds.I think your estimate of 3 to 4 books to conclude the series is correct.

    At the end of ADWD the pace quickened but the world felt like it was still expanding. The story has a long way to go at the current pacing and 2000 pages really doesn’t seem like enough room to get it all in unless GRRM suddenly changes writing style and I doubt that will happen.

  32. kevin1989,

    YAY!!!! I look forward to hearing your thoughts about it!!

    And I don’t know if you already answered it, but about the show. How many seasons do you think it will get? And do the other 3 books outside the main story be included in the tv show?

    I’m not sure if they’ll continue with the prequel and sequel to the HDM trilogy (but that would be cool) but I think the show itself will probably get three seasons, one season, one book? Or perhaps they’ll split but the books are about the same size. I’m interested to see how they’ll go forward, especially if it keeps proving to be a success 🙂

    Damn and they didn’t woke you up?

    Oh, I just went back to sleep and slept pretty much the entire day 🙂 I’ve been pretty exhausted, averaging about 1-3 hrs for non-all-nighter nights for the past 10 days because there is so much to be done before the 30th — I think even if somebody had woke me up, I’d no longer be able to communicate in human 😉

    Oh yes, and Barnes & Noble is a bookstore!

  33. Tron79,

    Yeah, I wasn’t thinking specifically of Rumple but he does say that doesn’t he! I watched the series when it first came on and I gave up on it after (I can’t remember how many seasons). It’s a show that both my wife and I could watch together, but we both had enough at some point. That is one of the things very different about GOT, is that I never felt that it went a season too far. I know that was also on D&D’s mind with limiting it to 73 episodes. Also, unfortunately my wife never got into it, so I’m on my own. But tonight my son got me these cool GOT stickers to put on my water bottle or laptop.

    GOT stickers!!! I got a Jon Snow Funko Pop keychain! (My mum loves him!) My eye is still on that round Danielle Nicole Targaryen purse from last year (it matches my coat and I LOVE LOVE LOVE round purses) but alas, I can no longer find it anywhere…

    I agree with you about OUAT. I don’t think I lasted the full series run when it originally aired (I think this will be my first time watching beyond season 5) because I did feel it was getting a bit ridiculous. However, I like it for when I’m working because it’s a series with a lot of episodes to keep my mind engaged as I’m performing tasks that don’t require my full concentration but I don’t have to pay too much attention to it to follow along.

    Your story about sleeping through Christmas morning and everyone ditching you has the makings of a great holiday classic. Maybe Toy Story 23 where the Toys don’t realize you’re home. After coming into your room, they decide to hire you to embark on a holiday adventure to rescue Mrs. Potato head’s cousin Vinny from prison in Alabama. Mrs. Potato head would be played by the voice of Marisa Tomei. Whoops, that wouldn’t be totally originally though. Perhaps as you wake up and begin to explore the house, you go into your sister Mariann’s room to find the shoes she borrowed from you. You discover a strange weirwood tree door in the back of Mariann’s closet. The door asks you if you are from the Night’s Watch, and you recite the oath perfectly from memory… Your adventure awaits. You’ll have to write that part. I hope your Christmas turned out to be an awesome adventure!

    I. LOVE. THIS!!!!!

    I’d totally watch that Toy Story 23!!

    And the second is a perfect mix of Narnia, and GOT!!! (I used to pray there was a portal to another world in my closet. Disappointed every time but maybe not tonight…)

  34. kevin1989,

    It seems like it to me, I can’t believe that I got called a liar on Christmas Day and I wasn’t even playing Monopoly at the time lol

    With the battles, I’m not overly critical, I get a bit miffed by things like Bronn saving Jaime from Drogon in S7, that was just too silly. Something similar happened with Jon and Benjen north of the wall. Those are individual stunts though, and in my least favourite season. The Long Night had some questionable things in it (people in the crypts etc) but I’ve gone over that before. If people love the battles equally that’s fine by me.

    With BotB, the only thing that bothered me was the rather contrived Vale save at the end. I call it contrived because Sansa had no real reason to keep it secret, if there was any chance of them coming she should have told Jon to delay, rather than this insubstantial ‘advice’ about Ramsey. It was kept secret to add a sense of uncertainty. Not the end of the world but it was quite obvious. It’s natural for things like this to creep in as they try to A) Not repeat themselves B) Increase the spectacle C) Increase the stakes.

  35. Jenny:
    kevin1989,

    It seems like it to me, I can’t believe that I got called a liar on Christmas Day and I wasn’t even playing Monopoly at the time lol

    With the battles, I’m not overly critical, I get a bit miffed by things like Bronn saving Jaime from Drogon in S7, that was just too silly.Something similar happened with Jon and Benjen north of the wall.Those are individual stunts though, and in my least favourite season.The Long Night had some questionable things in it (people in the crypts etc) but I’ve gone over that before.If people love the battles equally that’s fine by me.

    With BotB, the only thing that bothered me was the rather contrived Vale save at the end.I call it contrived because Sansa had no real reason to keep it secret, if there was any chance of them coming she should have told Jon to delay, rather than this insubstantial ‘advice’ about Ramsey.It was kept secret to add a sense of uncertainty.Not the end of the world but it was quite obvious.It’s natural for things like this to creep in as they try to A) Not repeat themselvesB) Increase the spectacleC) Increase the stakes.

    Oh, I forgot (I try where possible) anything involving Euron in the last 2 seasons was pretty… not the best, I’ll say that. Right up until he swam from his fleet, directly into Jaime’s path. Euron sucked, everything about him was absurd.

  36. Euron, sigh.

    Euron is among my regrets of 2019.

    He was an idiot before that but I did not learn.

    He degenerated. I degenerated by watching him -wasted time.

    I must improve in 2020. I am working on my viewing choices.

  37. Tron79,

    Thanks. I was wonder what it was. Sounds great a store like that.

    Stew,

    Isn’t it more like 200 a 300 pages? At least we’re still waiting on more chapters from the ending of Dance.

  38. Tron79,

    I think winds will bring all those back together. And the killing will begin. Martin already state there will be no more new POV characters, except the 2 of the prologue (which always dies) and the Epilogue (which also only get one chapter in the whole story).

    That’s the thing with books, some parts are one chapter but are multiple months, and some multiple chapters are one day. Once he kills off a bounce of POV in the next book, and some at the beginning of dream then he has enough with 2 books, but still I wonder if it won’t be 3 books. (which I rather have, I rather have 3 800 page books then 2 1200 page books).

    I except at least Cersei, at least one Dornish character to die (Arianne or Areo), I also expect that in winds Victorion will perish (that part of the story will be told through Damphair if it continues in dream, but maybe even he will die and Euron will die too, or maybe Euron will be seen through Sam’s POV or other characters). And do we know that Theon and Asha will surive the book? Will Barristan die at the end of the book? Dream could easily be only “War against the death” & “Dance of dragon part 2” with the other characters circling around those storylines.

    Even in Dance and Feast he shows he can tell a lot of plot in merely a chapter. Look at how many parts of Arya’s training she got with only the little chapters she had. Every chapter she seems to both evolve further into her training and her character evolve.

    Adrianacandle,

    I will do 😀 And better 3 good seasons, than more seasons but that it felled to stretched.

    So you would have been a bit like sir Ilyn Payne?

  39. Jenny,

    Monopoly: The game to end friendships. XD

    Same her with some things, but even with it’s fault’s I still love every single season of GoT. And I would rewatch it many times in the future.

    I was also thinking about why do many found season 1 till 4 better than season 5 till 8. And something else got my eye when I start watching Lord of the rings again. Both GoT and Lotr (both books and movies/series) has their own way of “speaking”. They speak english but in their own unique dialect. Look at season 1 the way the characters speak, the way the sentences are structured is something unique and never seen with any other show. I would call this “Westerosi”, but every season it changed more from that unique dialogue towards the standard “English” dialogue that happens with every show out there.

    I also think that this is something that made GoT unique same as Lotr, I don’t know how much language is important in shows and if this is really something people would notice unconsciously. But it’s something that catch my eye when watching LotR why I also though it was unique.

    Jenny,

    Agree, I still wonder what his point in the show was. But I found Pilou very good as an actor.

  40. kevin1989,

    That and Lord of the Rings Risk in my house. We had a power cut on Xmas day a few years ago, and when the lights came back on, we caught my dad moving prices on the board. Total betrayal!

    I suppose the dialect is some kind of faux Middle English, its modernised a lot, real Middle English is quite difficult to follow, as is Elizabethan English. There are so many novels set in that period, it’s quite common to use modern English (and modern spelling) with a medieval twist. Not so much on TV though now that I think about it, unless its adapted from a novel, which they normally are. Have you ever seen Wolf Hall? It’s about Thomas Cromwell and the language is quite similar. You should recognise someone in this clip!

    Pilou was very good, and I liked the character at first, but I don’t think they really knew what to do with him, its a shame for him really as he ended up being a cartoon pirate.

  41. Jenny,

    ” Pilou was very good, and I liked the character at first, but I don’t think they really knew what to do with him, its a shame for him really as he ended up being a cartoon pirate.”

    Mango:
    Euron, sigh.

    Euron is among my regrets of 2019.

    He was an idiot before that but I did not learn.

    He degenerated. I degenerated by watching him -wasted time.

    I must improve in 2020. I am working on my viewing choices.

    I gotta agree with Jenny and Mr. D.:
    Euron the Cackling Clown was a waste of screen time. (And the moron didn’t bat an eyelash when Tyrion mentioned Cersei was pregnant.) Plus, the Euron ex machina to be in just the right place at the right time to intercept Jaime on the shore was kind of silly.

    The show could have devoted that screen time to Hot Pie…

  42. Happy Christmas everyone!

    Interesting lists to read but I am surprised GOT is so low as I cannot think of a single show which even comes close over the entire decade.

  43. mau:
    kevin1989,

    No news here anymore and I was all about Star Wars in the last couple of weeks 😀

    I liked The Rise of Skywalker. Much better experience than The Last Jedi. Shame JJ didn’t make the entire trilogy.

    Totally agree rise of Skywalker is a big improvement of last Jedi and the woeful Solo. It has some great moments that really felt like Star Wars again but equally it was hard to see past some genuine plot holes and silly moments, I found them far more noticeable than the final two seasons of GOT too.

  44. Jon Snowed,

    I kind of agree with you, but I think the mixed reception that the last couple of seasons received has something to do with it, particularly the last season. Hard to say though.

    Sometimes GoT suffers from being the obvious choice too. It happens sometimes in WOTW’s GoT polls. There’s an obvious choice to win a category, but BECAUSE it’s the obvious choice it sometimes makes people want to vote for something else because it’s not as boring.

  45. Jon Snowed,

    I think Star Wars needs to take a break and re-group. A long break.

    It seems as if this trilogy was made in a corporate board room with the express goal of selling toys and video games instead of delivering a good story that will be remembered for decades to come. That couldn’t possibly be true could it!?

    I know I know, it’s trendy now days to bash Star Wars when it’s only supposed to be popcorn face stuffing fun. But honestly, watching this stuff now feels more like I’m sitting in a meeting at work. Yeah, the pastries on the table are good, but I’m still stuck in a meeting that I’m barely paying attention to.

    And when it comes back for yet another movie, which it inevitably will, there needs to be a coherent, consistent plot, and a detailed plan from the beginning. There needs to be a major focus on the script rather than marketing. There needs to be more creativity and less reliance on rehashing things that have already been done in the original trilogy. The marketing and merchandising will always be there. Just focus on a good script with dialog that doesn’t turn your brain into mush and everything will be fine.

  46. kevin1989,
    I couldn’t find the article from 2011 that I read anywhere with the final Manuscript pages that were cut. So yea you are probably right and it was closer to 300 with the amount of sample chapters out there.

  47. Mr Derp:
    Ten Bears,

    Agreed.Euron sucked.

    I liked his first scene in “Home”, but everything after that was not so brilliant.

    For that matter, in retrospect the show devoted way too much time to Ramsay Bolton. (Yeah, yeah, I get it: he’s a vicious sadist. I didn’t need repetitive torture porn scenes to figure that out.)

    They could’ve used that screen time to show Sansa becoming a “savvy politician” and “the smartest person” Arya knows, instead of telling us that in interviews and “Inside the Episode” commentaries.

  48. Mr Derp,

    “the express goal of selling toys and videogames”

    Dude… have you seen ROTJ? Or any of the prequels?

    “dialogue that doesn’t turn your brain to mush”

    Dude… have you seen ANH? Or any of the prequels?

    “detailed plan from the beginning”

    You’re sorely mistaken if you think Lucas had his whole story planned from the beginning. He didn’t even know Vader was Luke’s dad until Empire. Leia being Luke’s sister, he didn’t have that shit planned out even during Empire. He literally made the story up as he went along.
    AND he doesn’t have the excuse that one of his primary actors passed away before making the final movie, whose character the movie was supposed to be based around (Leia), like how TFA was based around Han and TLJ was based around Luke.

    I enjoy Star Wars, but phew, the hypocrisy and nostalgia-goggles are strong with their fanbase.

  49. Farimer123: Dude… have you seen ROTJ? Or any of the prequels?

    Yes dude, I saw them and they all sucked. I can tolerate ROTJ much more than the prequels, but the Ewoks sucked in ROTJ, which is where the merchandising comes into play. The prequels were a complete disaster, IMO.

    Farimer123: “dialogue that doesn’t turn your brain to mush”

    Dude… have you seen ANH? Or any of the prequels?

    Yes, of course I have. The dialog in ANH is fine for me. The prequel dialog is beyond bad though.

    And I never said Lucas had his whole story planned from the beginning. I’m simply recommending they do that moving forward if they want to produce better movies than what they’ve been putting out.

  50. Ten Bears: For that matter, in retrospect the show devoted way too much time to Ramsay Bolton. (Yeah, yeah, I get it: he’s a vicious sadist. I didn’t need repetitive torture porn scenes to figure that out.)

    They could’ve used that screen time to show Sansa becoming a “savvy politician” and “the smartest person” Arya knows, instead of telling us that in interviews and “Inside the Episode” commentaries.

    I found Ramsey a little more interesting in earlier seasons because there seemed to be much more to him than just sadism, but I thought he became a bit of a caricature of himself by the time season 6 came around.

  51. Mr Derp,

    I liked Revenge of the Sith, it wasn’t a masterpiece but it was the best of the prequels by a long way (not saying much but still). The prequels are only watchable because of Obi-Wan, who is my favourite SW character. RoTJ is actually my favourite SW movie, a controversial choice perhaps, but I loved the Luke/Vader/Emperor stuff so much. Cried when Vader died.

    My review of TRoS – a bit of 🙂 a bit of 🙁 and a new appreciation for the Last Jedi. I know people have problems with that movie (totally fine, the casino planet is dull) but Rian Johnson knew what he wanted to do and he did it, whereas TRoS is all over the shop, its about 3 films in 1 and there is 1 plot point that I can’t get on board with at all. Fun in parts, but it’s just too much too fast, it tired me out.

  52. Jenny,

    What a betrayal of your father, but at least he likes playing games. XD Sounds nice LotR game.

    I never watched that show, but I watched the Tudors where the character was in it. (which I found a great show, it was with Nathalie Dormer) but I heard about Wolf Hall and I knew Damian Lewis played a important role in it. And I see Jojen was in it.

    Personally I love the more older way of speaking, yes LotR was modernized, but still it has a unique way of speaking. Same with GoT (especially first seasons and the books). It helps to connect to the new world in my honest opinion (Middle-Earth, Westeros etc).

    Ten Bears,

    Than we could have learned about how he made his gravy, count me in.

    Mr Derp:
    Ten Bears,

    Agreed.Euron sucked.

    I liked his first scene in “Home”, but everything after that was not so brilliant.

    Agree, still I loved his scenes in 7×02 (his madness battle-scene) and 7×03 where he taunts Jaime (Does she like it in the bum) but that’s mostly because Pilou could act those scene brilliantly. “No, no, not now. We’re talk later.”

  53. Jenny,

    I agree with the revenge of the sith. I put it just a notch below the OT. And obi wan is my favorite character and can’t wait for the tv series in Disney plus with Ewan returning.

  54. Jenny,

    There are some aspects of ROTJ that I enjoyed. I liked the beginning at Jabba’s palace and I also liked the sand pit scene (R.I.P. Boba Fett). I didn’t dislike the movie at all really, I just didn’t care much for the Ewoks. Just too cutsie-poo for me.

    I hated the prequels with a passion. I’ve tried to get into them numerous times with little to no success. All 3 of them.

    The Phantom Menace was a movie designed for little children. I don’t know how anyone over the age of 13 could enjoy that movie. The kid who played Little Ani (as much as he tried) was terrible. I think the less mentioned about Jar-Jar Binks, the better 🙂

    If I had to pick my favorite of the prequel films, it would have to be Attack of the Clones, even though I didn’t care for that one much either. I thought the action was pretty good, I enjoyed the planets they went to, but Anakin and Padme are insufferable. Every scene with them completely ruins the movie for me.

    Revenge of the Sith…I wanted to like that one the best, but…I just didn’t care for it. The ham-fisted “I have the high ground” scene was just so dumb it felt like it was written by a 5 year old. The dialog with Anakin and Padme actually got WORSE in this one too, if that was possible. One of the few memories I have of seeing the prequels in theaters was the packed theater in Revenge of the Sith collectively laughing out loud at how bad the dialog between Anakin and Padme was. It was embarrassing.

    Then, the final “Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo” from Darth Vader at the end was the cherry on top. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cornier scene in a movie in my entire life.

    I haven’t seen TROS yet. I’m not sure that I’ll bother with it until it comes out on HBO or something like that. I just don’t really care about the characters anymore and I don’t want to give Disney any more of my $.

    I wasn’t even planning on watching the new trilogy at all, but my mom of all people convinced me to watch TFA because she told me how good it was. I saw TFA and I thought it was terrible. At best, it was just a poorly done retread of ANH with completely unlikable characters.

    Also, agreed on Obi-wan. I thought Ewan McGregor was by far the best actor in the prequels. I think acting in front of a green screen was still somewhat new back then and it showed. Most of the actors were stiff on screen and it felt like they were trying to act rather than pull it off naturally. Even Samuel L. Jackson was bad.

  55. Mr Derp:
    Ten Bears,

    Agreed.Euron sucked.

    I liked his first scene in “Home”, but everything after that was not so brilliant.

    Agree, still I loved his scenes in 7×02 (his madness battle-scene) and 7×03 where he taunts Jaime (Does she like it in the bum) but that’s mostly because Pilou could act those scene brilliantly. “No, no, not now. We’re talk later.”

    Mr Derp,

    Agree.

    Stew,

    I though to remember something like that. And we already got around 100/150 pages (how much would the released chapters be?) and it’s pretty obvious those chapters were first meant to be in Dance. It’s pretty obvious that the whole battle of Meereen and stand-off at Winterfell was supposed to be in Dance. (Which I expect will both be at least 50 pages). I think the battle of Storms End was also meant to be in Dance (and those will probably be just before, or just after Arianne II). Jaime should also have had a extra chapter. He only got one in Dance, and I think the first plan were 2 or 3 at least.

    But I wonder what will happen in the next chapters. GRRM told he can’t give anymore away because everyone would give away too much. I think he gave us all the “Not so plotchanged” chapters. But I wonder what which each character. With Jon it’s obvious why. With Bran it’s probably something big that will be revealed about either the CotF/Bloodraven. Or a peak into the past that would reveal to much. Sansa will probably have a big move either escaping north, LF plans are changed toward YG with Sansa, or my theory is that we won’t see Sansa again until Arya’s character is progressed, my theory is that Arya will go to Westeros on a asignment to kill Alayne Stone. That’s why I think we didn’t got the Arya chapter. I suspect that the next chapter is the Sea-lords palace, but like all her chapters in Braavos, that storyline also ends within the same chapter, and it ends with her assignment to Westeros. With Theon and Asha it’s logical why it’s not in it, it would reveal who would live with Theon, Asha and Stannis and of course the plan of Stannis and it’s execution. With Davos I expect he would either meet with Rickon, or he will be shipwrecked at Hardhome. Cersei character will probably also have a plottwist about her thoughts about the death of her uncle and Pycelle and then the Sandsnakes come, maybe Tommen won’t survive the first chapter of Winds. Jaime will have his meeting with Stoneheart with Brienne, Sam will probably learn something about the Maesters which he wants to keep for himself for now (him I mean GRRM), and the battle of Oldtown. I wonder how many Sam chapter we get before the battle begins. Areo will probably be about if Obara dies by the hand of Darkstar or if she killed him. Jon C is about the battle of Storms End so logical it won’t be in a sample chapter and we need to wait. In Meereen we already saw to much already about the battle, so I understand why GRRM wants us to wait. And with Daenerys I suspect she only get one chapter in Vaes Dothrak. I suspect she already won the Dotraki at the first moment they lay their eyes on Drogon. Dany mounts the biggest horse they ever saw (drogon), she shows strength with it. I suspect her visit in Vaes Dothrak is more because of her prophecies that she wants to return, and maybe she learn something there about herself.
    (did I miss a character?)

    Farimer123,

    True even George Lucas admit this. His plan was to make ANH, he didn’t even knew if he got another movie after that and what to do with it. I found the SW movies fun to watch (especially as a kid which the movies were made for), but as an adult which watched many stories, SW is not comparable to stories like LotR or GoT.

    Mr Derp,

    Hurley in Lost: Because face it dude, the Ewoks sucked.

  56. Stew,

    Yeah! Me too! I saw that announcement and just thought ‘oh f*ck, now I will have to get Disney +’. If he doesn’t have a secret wife I will eat my shoe.

    Mr Derp,

    Most people hated the Ewoks, I didn’t mind them too much, I thought they were creepy rather than cute.

    Can’t argue with that assessment of the prequels, I think George Lucas liked using new technology more than anything. The Obi-Wan/Maul fight is my favourite lightsaber battle in the series, the Disney trilogy has a different style altogether, less flashy and more ‘realistic’. The Luke/Vader fight in RoTJ is great too.

    I will never understand why Ani had to start out as a child, why couldn’t he be the same age as Padme? The movies would have benefited from it, I like to imagine Adam Driver as Anakin. I don’t think that Lucas was the best director of actors, and he didn’t get great performances out of anybody, the green screen was a big factor. Ewan was the only one who coped with it, Liam Neeson was Ok in TPM too.

    That scene in RoTS…

    Better than the movie lol!

    If you didn’t like TFA, i’d definitely wait until they land on HBO, that was probably the strongest all round, but I do like The Last Jedi, I really like Luke in it.

  57. Jenny,

    I think RotS is my favorite movie of Star Wars. The whole “Why Anakin becomes Vader” is very dark and emotional. And they dared to show something many shows/movies don’t dare to do, kill children, it’s something that’s hard to watch, but it shows how far Anakin went at that moment.

    For me the prequels aren’t that great is because of one things: Over-use of CGI. Damn it felled like you we’re in a virtual game world. And I dislike that they didn’t went with the first plan because Lucas chickened out. (having Yar Yar being the one that put Anakin towards the dark path and that he was a Sith-lord pretending to be clumpsy).

    Mr Derp,

    See above, I personally loved what what Lucas had in store with Jar Jar. Unfortunately he changed his plans beause of the backlash of the character. I only forget if it was Lucas of the actor of Jar Jar who told that they planned to have Jar Jar being revealed as the true Sith lord of the prequel (even above Palpatine). That’s why we got Count Duko in the second movie, because they changed their plans.

  58. kevin1989: I personally loved what what Lucas had in store with Jar Jar.

    Well, you are a trouper! You’re the only person I’ve ever spoken with that liked Jar Jar. Even though I hated the character, I felt bad for the person that did the voice for Jar Jar. he received a lot of undue hate.

    The concept of a Darth Jar Jar just hurts my head, but it’s kind of interesting to hear that was the original plan.

  59. kevin1989,

    Wait, what?! Was that really the plan for Jar Jar? Wow! I did like that movie a lot, I really liked the scenes between Anakin and Palpatine (who couldn’t look more sinister if he tried) particularly the scene at the opera. But lol, when he throws Windu out the window, UNLIMITED POWAH!!!!! he really hammed it up and I loved it. Also, Obi-Wan’s line, ‘only a sith deals in absolutes’ there were some good lines.

  60. Mr Derp,

    Well as far as I remember correctly it was meant to be that the clumsy annoying Jar Jar was just an act, and that we would have saw a much different Jar Jar in the second and third movie where we would have seen Jar Jar being clumsy with Anakin and pushing Anakin towards the dark side, and another one that we would have been with Palpatine where he was very different, darker, serious, far from clumsy etc. Which I think if he would have stick with that plan, that Jar Jar would not be remembered as annoying which he now was, but a very interesting character that deceived both Anakin and the fans. I mean I could see it before me, second movie almost at the end we would see Jar Jar talking with Palpatine, his voice changed to a very low voice, the opposite of clumsy, revealing to be the one controlling everything. And it would make sense why some “foolish” moments of Jar Jar pushed Anakin more towards the dark side, he was the one if I remember right that told Anakin to be emotional and didn’t he pushed Anakin towards Padme? Which was needed for the plan of the sith if I remember right.

    So I agree that now he is just an annoying character, but if they had sticked with the original plan I think that would have changed a lot in the end and we would have remembered Jar Jar differently. Than we would see the point of his foolishness.

  61. Mr Derp: I found Ramsey a little more interesting in earlier seasons because there seemed to be much more to him than just sadism, but I thought he became a bit of a caricature of himself by the time season 6 came around.

    After the cold-blooded murder of my beloved Myranda I lost all interest in the Ramsey-Sansa-Theon storyline. (I still say shoehorning Sansa into the books! Jeyne Poole storyline may have seemed like a good idea on paper, but in its execution it left too many logical and chronological gaps.)

  62. Jenny,

    It was a theory on reddit in which the actor stated that that theory had a lot of truth to it.

    It’s also possible that it would just mean that Jar Jar would also had fallen for the darker path of Palpatine like Annakin but than as the politician.

    And true I liked that scene too. But for me I wished Lucas stayed with his original plan (if that would have been Jar Jar sith or something else with the character), he changed it for the wrong reasons in my opinion.

  63. Jenny,

    Here is the actor doing a line and the voice if Jar Jar would have been a sith lord, it’s the first time I heard it and I have to say, it’s pretty great, and I think the actor would have nailed it the scary dark voice. (You hear the voice 2 times, first how the actor say it, and the second it’s a bit changed like they always do in movies and TV shows, to emphasize more on the voice.)

  64. kevin1989:
    Tron79,

    I think winds will bring all those back together. And the killing will begin. Martin already state there will be no more new POV characters, except the 2 of the prologue (which always dies) and the Epilogue (which also only get one chapter in the whole story).

    That’s the thing with books, some parts are one chapter but are multiple months, and some multiple chapters are one day. Once he kills off a bounce of POV in the next book, and some at the beginning of dream then he has enough with 2 books, but still I wonder if it won’t be 3 books. (which I rather have, I rather have 3 800 page books then 2 1200 page books).

    I except at least Cersei, at least one Dornish character to die (Arianne or Areo), I also expect that in winds Victorion will perish (that part of the story will be told through Damphair if it continues in dream, but maybe even he will die and Euron will die too, or maybe Euron will be seen through Sam’s POV or other characters). And do we know that Theon and Asha will surive the book? Will Barristan die at the end of the book? Dream could easily be only “War against the death” & “Dance of dragon part 2” with the other characters circling around those storylines.

    Even in Dance and Feast he shows he can tell a lot of plot in merely a chapter. Look at how many parts of Arya’s training she got with only the little chapters she had. Every chapter she seems to both evolve further into her training and her character evolve.

    Adrianacandle,

    I will do And better 3 good seasons, than more seasons but that it felled to stretched.

    So you would have been a bit like sir Ilyn Payne?

    (I have some Witcher stuff at the end for those interested. I just finished the finale..first my response to Kevin)

    Kevin, that sounds like GRRM will be killing off characters left and right when we start Winds then. It’s a good sign that GRRM said he would stop adding more POV’s. I’d rather not see every character that doesn’t have to do with the endgame get killed off though. Send them on their way after they realize their quest is over. Perhaps their journey with the reader ends, but no need to just kill everyone. I would be disappointed if this was the strategy. To me it would be an overused plot device and make me angry that there wasn’t a more important purpose for the character if all that happens is they meet an untimely death so GRRM doesn’t have to deal with them anymore. I don’t think I agree that Victorian will die quickly. He has some hefty magic on his side now and

    a powerful horn

    I think GRRM had a purpose for all of them. Well, perhaps a few he just enjoyed exploring their world for awhile. I think GRRM quite enjoys living with the pirates and all of the colorful characters.

    I think we’re on the same page that it’s going to take more than 2000 pages to finish the story. In my oracle, I predict 3023 pages to finish the story. That’s really like 3 books, but if that’s the case, I may never get to collect my winnings, since I’m not sure if GRRM has the desire to write 3 let alone 2 more books. I agree with you though that GRRM can move the pace along quicker if he wishes. He can get alot done offscreen if he wants.

    I was just thinking with 2020 upon us that it would be a great holiday gift for 2020 if GRRM releases TWOW this time next year. Wherever it leaves us off at the end of Winds is actually OK with me as long as he continues the story in 2020.

    ###WITCHER…
    So, I just completed the finale. I will say I was pretty confused by the timeline thinking back through the 8 episodes. It really jumps all over the place, and I’m not sure if that was on purpose or just the way it was all edited together. I’m all for not having a linear timeline, but this jumped around a bit much for me, and it resulted in confusing me as the viewer. Even though Yennefer the mage was quite attractive, I was thinking I found her more appealing when she had her hump back. Her beauty pageant hair style didn’t help her. I think they were going for a Khaleesi season 1 with her nudity scenes. I think she was nude more than Emilia. She was very attractive, but it’s funny that I thought she was much more appealing with her curved spine and lumpy face. I know I must be pretty strange. But perhaps that was part of her character’s arc as well and I was just feeling how she felt about herself. Now I’m thinking too deeply into a Witcher episode! It’s definitely not for those who want to dig too deep for hidden meaning. I am looking forward to season 2 though. I think it was well worth the watch, and it wasn’t something you see everyday that’s for sure. Henry Cavill did a good job in the lead role. His occasional grunt would tell you everything you needed to know. His “Oh F*ck” would tell it all. And I loved his relationship with his horse Roach. I did like Freya Allan in the role of Princess Cirilla who was on the run through the magical forest, etc… But there were also many awful b movie performances. I think my least favorite was Queen Calanthe played by Jodhi May. She seemed totally ridiculous to me. Not that they were going for believability, but she just seemed silly in the way she portrayed the queen. Oh well, sorry if that was harsh. Overall I enjoyed the watch of the Witcher season 1.

  65. kevin1989: I will do 😀 And better 3 good seasons, than more seasons but that it felled to stretched.

    So you would have been a bit like sir Ilyn Payne?

    Yes! But instead of losing a tongue, I’ve lost basic brain function so maybe a bit more like Frankenstein ;D I have now regained (nominal) use of cognitive function after sleeping for nearly 20 hours straight! No more running into surprise (unaccounted for) walls/forgetting that objects take up space and I can’t walk through them!

  66. kevin1989,

    That is wild, I can’t imagine it, even after hearing the actor do the voice.

    Tron79,

    I’ve just started the Witcher, I’ve played the games but I haven’t read the books, they are on my list for this year. I absolutely love Yennefer, and I’m hoping to like her in the show too. I’m on episode 2, and so far it’s all pretty straight forward, no deep political intrigue or deep lore. I haven’t got to the weird time line stuff yet, but I am prepared to be confused.

  67. Tron79,

    Agree, but still I think some of those will be killed off, Cersei because of the prophecy, and it seems her story progressed faster than the show version and I think the delay of Jaime breaking with Cersei is because in the books she dies earlier. I expect her to die at the end of escape KL at the end. (I even think Margery will live a bit longer in the books, I suspect the Tyrells are working with the High Sparrow on this on, don’t know why I feel that way, but her capture felled to strange, and we are suppose to believe that Loras is injured, which somehow I doubt that is what really happened.

    As for Victorion. I have a feeling once Vic blow the dragon horn, that the dragon will be controlled by Euron. Why? The strange glymps on Euron’s armor. which looks to be from Valyria. I think those are the same ones on the horn. And maybe the lady that Damphair saw in his vision is in fact one of those dragons.

    A strange theory is that Euron is in fact the same person as Gerion (Right spelling) Lannister, that controls the Stonemen) or they are working together, which will make Greyscale that much more important.

    I also think that the dragonhorn is maybe the same as the horn of winter. Every time you blow the horn to control a dragon. The wall gets weaker and loses itself. The first time this happened was at the Kingsmoot, and if my timeline is correct, not long after the North is hit with snowstorms, which I think is coming from the wall, and is in fact the wall itself. And it could mean that the wall coming down is in fact combined with Euron taking control of Vyserion (like the show did with undead Vyserion).

    I don’t think he will end off secondary characters but most will just be gone like Bronn. As for main I think the last book ends of course with the POVS surviving their last chapter. But I think winds will not end character-arcs that survive.

    Stew,

    I wonder that too about Mercy, if that was a chapter that was meant for winds or that it was suppose to be in Dance of dragons. You think it was meant to be in winds not dance?

  68. Jenny:
    kevin1989,

    That is wild, I can’t imagine it, even after hearing the actor do the voice.

    Tron79,

    I’ve just started the Witcher, I’ve played the games but I haven’t read the books, they are on my list for this year.I absolutely love Yennefer, and I’m hoping to like her in the show too.I’m on episode 2, and so far it’s all pretty straight forward, no deep political intrigue or deep lore.I haven’t got to the weird time line stuff yet, but I am prepared to be confused.

    She is one of the more interesting characters. I especially liked her in those early episodes. Don’t expect anything to get too deep lol. Let me know what you think when you finish your journey through the season. There was an interesting clip on Netflix if you go into the episode list. Lauren Schmidt Hissrich (the showrunner) interviews Andrzej Sapkowski. I haven’t read the Witcher books either, but it sounded like some were short stories. The first season really felt like 8 short stories that loosely tied together with some overarching plots.

  69. Adrianacandle,

    Luckily you will see the walls now again.

    Damn 20 hours is long for sleeping.

    Jenny,

    True, but I wish if this was lucas first intent, that he would have sticked with it. He admitted that he cut a lot of story by cutting Jar Jar. But still he got a big role with the political stuff. So what’s bigger than that? What was his first plan that would took a more core role for the story.

    Would be wild if in the tv show or the next movie, Sith Jar Jar is revealed. I wonder which would be bigger, the backlash or the “I knew it, George Lucas should have sticked with it in the prequels.”

  70. kevin1989,

    how awesome was

    Euron’s Valyrian steel armor

    You could be right. You’ve studied this backwards and forwards.
    I don’t know if I’m with you with the horn already affecting things though, but you could end up being correct about it.

    I agree that prophesies will come in to play, but most likely in the least expected ways. I think GRRM has some twists in mind with his prophesies that we’re not seeing.

    And I really have no idea the end game with Arya. How will she end up using her FM skills in the end game? I really doubt it will be like the show. I think it’s likely she will come to the same realization that she is Arya Stark of Winterfell and she’s going home, but I’m really stumped on how her arc is going to be used in the overall story.
    Sansa’s character seems much less important than the show when we left her

    still in the Vale with sweet Robin

    The show gave her a much bigger role with how they changed and merged character’s stories.

    I’m hoping we have 12 months or less to debate what’s coming next and it will be a great holiday surprise next year. A Valentine’s day surprise would be even better but even for someone like me who is an optimist that is too much to hope for.

  71. Tron79,

    I also hope it would be less than 12 months.

    About arya

    I think she will go further into the FLM than in the show. I don’t think her going west is like the show. I think she get an assignment there, kill Alayne Stone, ordered by Myranda (or somebody else), I think Arya will refuse to kill her and here we have something else and more bittersweet than the show. I think Arya’s choice to go west in the end is not because she wants to, but because she has too, she went against the FLM who is now after her. She needs to go west to survive. As for Sansa, who knows what winds bring, if her story is going north it will be as important as the show. If she goes south, it would be more important because she is a contender for the throne and could easily be the one to dethrone Cersei, deal with Dany when arriving etc.
  72. kevin1989,

    hummm…

    I suppose it’s possible that someone hires her as a FM. There’s no way she would follow through with it once she saw Sansa. You could be right that the FM try to kill Arya after she decides to spare Sansa, but I really don’t get that idea from the book FM. If it was the show House of Black and White, I would definitely be with you on the theory. Book HOBAW seem more encouraging and less threatening to Arya. I think they will be fine with her leaving. Arya committed herself (like in mental health facility you can check yourself in). I think Arya can really leave at any time if she decides this isn’t the life for her. I think the Kindly man would be fine with her leaving and refusing the job after she realizes it’s her sister, but I could be wrong. He could show his menacing side if she betrays their trust and the many face god must be paid his debt. I think the major part of Arya’s journey is self discovery. Once she’s OK with her being Arya and not someone else, I think she’ll be able to go home and use her skills to help the Starks in some way. I guess that’s my theory at the moment.
    I guess we shall see and hopefully before 2021.
  73. Tron79,

    Let’s hope.

    Stew,

    Maybe it’s one that suppose to be in winds, but who knows. But somehow I feel it suppose to be in Dance. He writes per character, and as far as I know for winds he was very busy with writing Arianne and other new characters, he also wrote some of the Westlands chapters of winds, who knows how far he was back then when he read that Arya chapter, but I wonder if he had already written some characters why he didn’t finish it already years past.

    Hopefully we know more next year.

  74. kevin1989: Luckily you will see the walls now again.

    Damn 20 hours is long for sleeping.

    It is! When exhausted, I’m awesome at it! I once did a 25-hour stretch in one go! And it was totally unmedicated!

    Ah, life’s accomplishments… 😉 This is why my dad is so proud!

  75. At the moment I’m on the fence as to whether I will seek out WoW when it (hopefully) comes out. *Sorry to be Debbie Downer but I personally have been underwhelmed with the preview chapters of WoW that have been released (well the ‘Mercy’ one was okay). Usually ideas I’ve had about how the ASOIAF story might progress have been wrong. I’ve said before I enjoy ASOIAF in a ‘good read’ sort of way (that would have to be amended to ‘an okay read’ for parts [not all] of AFFC and ADWD). I never considered it to be great literature – more a whale of a tale and I did (mostly) like both the book version and TV versions. I’ll give GRRM credit for building up Dany being a danger hidden in plain site; I thought she had the potential to be cruel sometimes but I didn’t think she was going to destroy Kings Landing.

    At present I’m about 3/4 way through “The Witcher” and am liking it in an entertainment sort of way – I don’t mind switching my brain off sometimes and there are other ways of obtaining intellectual stimulation besides watching something on TV (or even reading something).

    Random fact (which I’ve mentioned before but here goes) there was a quite dark and serious show on BBC during the past year called “Dark Money” (on the subject of child actors sometimes being sexually exploited in Hollywood [maybe it happens in other places too]) – the actor who plays Jaskier in the games (not the show – I think Jaskier is called Dandelion in the games) took the part of the baddy in “Dark Money” – so a very different character to Jaskier. Show Jaskier was also Mark Smeaton in “Wolf Hall” which programme also featured Kerry Ingram (Princess Shireen).

    * There’s been a tendency on the internet of late (not necessarily just on this site – actually as sites go this one is fairly mild) to accuse anyone who expresses a view someone else doesn’t like of being a “shill” or a “troll”. If anyone’s opinion is the opposite of mine that’s perfectly valid but may I assure you nobody is paying me to give my thoughts on the “Winds of Winter”.

  76. I’m going to say it again. Why won’t people use the forum?
    On this thread alone we have off-topic talk about
    Star Wars
    His Dark Materials
    The Witcher
    as well as the unfinished ASOIAF books, and various other things.

    It’s all fragmented, and unfindable once the article drops down the page.
    Use the forum and we could have separate threads for all these topics. People could FOLLOW the conversations and join in at any time.

    Now that TV GoT has finished, people are wanting to talk about other series, so it makes sense to me to reboot the forum.

  77. Dame of Mercia,

    I loved Feast, Dance and the sample chapters of Winds, and I would not dare to call you troll or anything. Everybody has their own taste and opinions, and as you state some has tendency to take that personal and should learn to live with it. If we all would think the same, the world would be boring.

    Grandmaester Flash,

    1. Habits, we’ve done it always in the articles.
    2. Many didn’t got their accounts verified. And to make the forum work I think a big bunch of people should be active at the same time. I mean I was activated but lost appeal because the big conversations were happening here.

    I also wish the forum would be used more. It would be nice to just talk about one topic, and for instance with me, with HDM or Witchers I could just say my thing after I finish some episodes. (If for instance a different topic would be made per season). But personally I don’t have a problem that it happens here.

  78. Dame of Mercia,
    About something you talked about.

    I still believe that GRRM goes with the, Euron is to blame for the burning of KL, but Dany get’s the blame from the people, in which she decided herself the people should choose their king, they choose YG and Sansa, yes I believe they will be a couple in the end. And she goes north to save humanity from the WW, but got killed Nissa Nissa Style. I think there’s a reason why the whole “Stealing a dragon” storyline is busy in the books, because it will come into play. The one stealing the dragon will be responsible for the burning of KL while Dany battles her own dragon. But the people of KL sees it as Dany putting her own dragons loose onto KL. I could be wrong,b ut I think storywise in the books this makes more sense.
  79. Kevin 1989,

    Yes, “horses for courses” – “one man’s (or woman’s) meat is another’s poison” – we all have different tastes. Your thoughts on the future of the series may have validity but I’ve given up trying to foretell where GRRM will go because I’m usually wrong.

    I hated book Euron.

    Grandmaester Flash,

    I’ve tried to use the forums (still do sporadically) but when I post something but a lot of people look at my post but don’t add anything it acts as something of a dampener to my enthusiasm.

  80. I find it very frustrating that it is impossible to follow conversations about topics unrelated to the article at the head. Because this place is getting to be like a closed shop with only a few people answering each other.

    I think the admin needs to take an interest. Sort out any registration problems, and persuade people to have their conversations in the platform provided, where it would be easier for others to join in.

    But perhaps they aren’t interested either. Shame.

  81. Grandmaester Flash,

    I’ve done my share of thread derailment on this one. Sorry. I never could get activated on the forum btw. I’ve tried several times and no one ever activates it. But I think some of my off topic comments are a symptom of what it’s like now that the end of the show is getting farther and farther away. I’m a very obsessed GOT fan, so my brain always comes back to GOT. I’ve been trying to find other things that fill the hole. I also try to always connect the other shows with GOT, because in my mind, they do connect, and that’s one of the things that attracted me to them in the first place. HDM has a young character Lyra that even almost uses the same letters in her name as Arya. I was also thinking of watching Alice in Wonderland again soon because it parallels Arya’s journey so closely. I’m thinking what’s next, which is why my brain kept going back to TWOW. With the holidays and the New Year almost here, it really made me wonder if by this time next year TWOW will be out yet. I’m staring at my cool Funko figures sitting on my computer desk next to me with Icy Viserion and the Night King sitting on top of my 5 book set of ASOIAF. Jon, Ghost, Arya, and a very small Tyrion Lannister keychain, which is still in the box, are all right there within view. I do enjoy reading other tangents in these threads, because they are GOT inspired. I think I’m not alone that I’m doing the best I can while waiting for what’s next to arrive, and I really do appreciate this community for putting up with me. I’ve learned a ton from everyone. We’re probably about done with lists for season 8 and the whole series, so that’s sad as well, because it’s another end. I searched for what’s next for Maisie Williams today and I discovered she’s going to be in a film version of the musical Spring Awakenings!

    After all of the awards and lists are done, it’s another long night, and let’s hope that TWOW comes soon so we don’t all freeze in our castles next winter.

  82. kevin1989

    I hope we do. i enjoy the books and the show greatly. i love everything thrones. i love how the show and books have a different style to them. i feel the show is more Greek tragedy while the books are more fantasy.

  83. Totally with you on Star Wars, only I fear Disney won’t allow a break in the movies. I know they cancelled some after Solo bombed but I genuinely feel as you do that they are not concerned on quality they just want to get material out and make money off merchandise having paid so much for the franchise.

  84. I actually believe the show runners made the right decision by accelerating Sansa book story and merging it with Jeyne Poole. Unsure how else the could have shown the sadism of Ramsay – if I remember it’s even worse in the books than the show – and avoided the boring Harry the Heir holding pattern plot line from Dance.

  85. Stew,

    True, I love them both. I prefer the books because I always prefer books (at least most of the time), it’s always more extend and less restrained. If you want something in a book, you put it in. If you want something in the show, you need to look at your budget, or if there is enough runtime etc. (Look at for instance LotR that needed to cut scenes because the theaters didn’t want to put the whole movie on the screen, but most was very important for the story to flow better, that’s why I love the extended version better). Also a show needs more action than a book, while books need more character motivation and thoughts.

    As for LotR fans. There’s a rumor that next summer there will be a 4K version in the stores. It’s logical because the movies were filmed in 4k, only the CGI etc was done in 2k. So they upgraded those to 4k. I can’t wait for it.

  86. Jon Snowed,

    I think that boring the Harry the heir storyline will end the next chapter. (Personally I’ll wait till the storyline is over till I decide if I found it boring or great) And for me it also depends where Martin goes with Sansa, she can be boring if she stays to long in the Vale, but there are also many and many interesting ways her story in the books can progress better in the long run.

    Arya ordered to kill her, Sansa being the one to take down Cersei, I still believe there is a chance she is the younger more beautiful woman to take all that is dear to her if it’s not Brienne, it could mean it comes full circle with the prophecy, she always feared Sansa first, then she moved to Margery and maybe later somebody else, what if her first though was right after all
  87. I say boring only as a reflection for I found it, along with other chapters in Dance and Feast. Perhaps uneventful is a better word, they are fine for world expansion but ultimately feel like they don’t pay off especially in contrast to earlier books.

    As for Sansa I feel it’s clear she’s coming North with the knights of the Vale in the books and show. No doubt there won’t be any last minute Calvary save in the books but anything else would be illogical at this point with two books to conclude.

  88. Jon Snowed,

    Well, I personally am not so convinced about that, I still believe Sansa will go south and deal with Cersei. Her whole arc is about Cersei, which I think won’t be abandoned for her to go to a storyline that she wasn’t part of and out of no where she is. I really don’t see her becoming part of the White Walker storyline in favor of the arc that is there since book 1. And LF would never let her go freely, that means either she escapes north without the Vale army. Or she kills LF, which I doubt will grand her the Vale army, when LF carefully make sure he controls the ones that are in the knights of the vale.

    LF is also very busy with the war of 3 queens that I doubt he will go to WF before that is resolved. And I look at it more differently, what if in the books Sansa really went south instead of north. Then they made the decision to have merge Sansa and Jeyne, which I don’t believe was done to serve Sansa’s storyline but rather to ditch themselves of Jeyne, and to give Theon somebody to save who we would like. What now? Do we bring Sansa back south again? Or do we alter the story that she sticks north. Once they made that choice, there was only one way the story could go, she sticks north. That counts for either if she goes north or south in the books. There was no going back with the merge-choice.

    I don’t think that it’s set in stone that Sansa will go north in the books, is it the most logical option after what we saw where every character ended in the show? Yes. Does that mean it’s set in stone? No, even Martin states the roads to the ending will be different.

    I could of course be wrong, like I am most of the time.

    the thing is that GRRM is very much into symbolizing the past. Sansa has a certain symbolizing from the past, Lady Ashford.
    Lady asford had 5 champions: Lyonel Baratheon, Leo Tyrell, Tybolt Lannister, Humfrey Hardying, and Valarr Targaryen.
    Look at Sansa who she is betrothed to: Joffrey Baratheon > Wyllas Tyrell > Tyrion Lannister > Harry Hardying which leaves the last one which we can fill in.
    I think it’s possible that after that Sansa will go back north. (As I state betrothed, doesn’t mean she marry)
    It also make sense with another symbolizing: Rheagar sets aside Elia Martell for Lyanna Stark. A Targaryen sets aside Arianne Martell for Sansa Stark.

    At least I think it will go more that way. I will be probably wrong but that’s what I think. But we probably never know, maybe when the prequel series is over.

  89. Ten Bears,
    I agree.. Euron was a wanker! A totally waste of space. That final scene with him fiighting Jaime on the beach was puerile. Almost as bad as when the Sandsnakes took on Jaime and Bronn in the water gardens! I’ve nothing against Pilou and sure he’s a good actor, but was just that dickhead Euron he played 😀

  90. Jon Snowed,

    I agree. Having a known character face rape and torture was better then creating new character whose only purpose would be to be raped and tortured. Feeling the pain of the victim is important. And also having a character that we saw since she was a little girl get raped was also powerful because rape victims are not some unknown extras in real life. They are real people.

    And moving Sansa to WF gave is that creat Sansa-Theon’s relationship.

  91. Jon Snowed:
    Happy Christmas everyone!

    Interesting lists to read but I am surprised GOT is so low as I cannot think of a single show which even comes close over the entire decade.

    No show comes even close, true. And especially now with some other fantasy shows out, GoT’s accomplishment seem even bigger.

    But I don’t expect everyone to put GoT on top because it was the most popular show on TV and critics feel smarter when they put something unpopular on top.

  92. mau,

    Well, as I’m sure you know – I think you’ve read the books – Jeyne Poole was in the first book (in the show they just had Sansa sitting next to a friend in the Winterfell Feast but didn’t name the character). The horrible book wedding night was worse than the show and if it had been depicted as is in the books I think there would have been a lot more complaints from viewers (except perhaps from the purest of book purists). Jeyne’s story did help convey how someone who had had a (fairly) privileged position in that her father was the steward to the Starks could lose everything after her father’s death and Ned’s fall from grace. (Caitlyn mentions “Poole” in season one of GoT so I don’t think it’s too “spoilery” to mention him). I know I have my issues with (some parts of) AFFC and ADWD but there are some very skilful scenes in those books where Mr Martin depicts how those lower down the social scale suffer while the aristocrats play their “Game of Thrones”.

  93. Grandmaester Flash,

    My two cents about the Forum Section:
    • A while back it got invaded by spammers. The Moderators took down the Section temporarily to get rid of the spam, and insulate the Forum Section from further spam intrusions. However, lots of folks didn’t realize it was up and running again.
    • I think some commenters had difficulty with the registration process. (As I recall some folks were awaiting an e-mail confirmation or registration info from the site?) I don’t know. I registered fairly recently and didn’t have a problem.
    • I think

    • Now that the show is over

  94. Ten Bears,

    • Sorry. Pressed “Post Comment” by mistake. I was trying to go to the top of the web page to verify that there is a “Contact Us” in the Menu.
    I assume that’s the best way to ask for assistance in addressing any registration difficulties.
    • Now that GoT is over, it’s probably an auspicious time to migrate to the Forums to discuss other shows some of us are watching. I don’t mind skipping over threads with discussions about His Dark Materials, The Witcher, etc.
    However, as somebody recently observed, once the post becomes “old news” after a couple of days, the Comments Section under it kind of gets abandoned.
    It’s probably way more convenient to use the Forum Section for such discussions because the thread stays “alive “

    • This reminds me: I’ve been intending to start a Forum Page to resurrect a goofy thread we had going during the show’s hiatus a year or two ago:

    “Love Songs for the Long Night.” – Ol’ Blue Eyes is Back.

    It was a thread for suggested titles and lyrics of songs dedicated to that misunderstood romantic, The Night King. (It all started with a clever comment about NK just needing some hot cocoa and music, or something like that.)

    I reached way back into the past for my first track: Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night.”

    • I’m probably also gonna set up a second page for an ASNAWP-centric faux compilation album: I already got my first selection ready based on her S4e10 finale closing segment as she sails off to Braavos + her closing scene in the S8e6 series finale on the deck of her direwolf ship.

  95. Tron79,

    ”I’ve done my share of thread derailment on this one. Sorry. I never could get activated on the forum btw. I’ve tried several times and no one ever activates it.”

    FYI See my comment above suggesting you try the “Contact Us” option in the scroll down menu at the top of the first page above.

    I wonder if there’s some kind of systemic problem. You’re not alone. I recall several other commenters having the same activation problem
    that you described.

  96. Dame of Mercia,

    ”I’ve tried to use the forums (still do sporadically) but when I post something but a lot of people look at my post but don’t add anything it acts as something of a dampener to my enthusiasm.”

    Hey! I looked at your post, liked it, and added to it. 😃
    The problem is not an enthusiasm deficit. Lots of commenters in this Comments Section have explained that they’ve encountered difficulties in the Forum Section registration/activation process, despite repeated attempts
    I am not sure what the glitch is. I do know that lots of folks would use the Forum Section – and definitely add to your post – if they could just solve the registration dilemma. Until they get activated they can only “look” but not post or reply.

    I’ll bet this is why “a lot of people look at [your] post but don’t add anything to it.”

  97. Tron79,

    “… I searched for what’s next for Maisie Williams today and I discovered she’s going to be in a film version of the musical Spring Awakenings!“

    • I’ll have to Google that! A musical! Maybe she’ll use her water dancing – I mean dancing skills.
    • I know she’s been filming a TV series, “Two Weeks to Live.” It sounds fun – but unfortunately, like lots of her projects, I don’t think it airs in the U.S.
    • Have you ever checked out her stage debut last year in the play “ I and You”? I’m pretty sure the video of it (in excellent quality) is available on YouTube.

  98. Ten Bears:
    Tron79,

    “… I searched for what’s next for Maisie Williams today and I discovered she’s going to be in a film version of the musical Spring Awakenings!“

    • I’ll have to Google that! A musical! Maybe she’ll use her water dancing – I mean dancing skills. • I know she’s been filming a TV series, “Two Weeks to Live.” It sounds fun – but unfortunately, like lots of her projects, I don’t think it airs in the U.S. • Have you ever checked out her stage debut last year in the play “ I and You”? I’m pretty sure the video of it (in excellent quality) is available on YouTube.


    A few articles on the Internet came up when I was searching for news about Maisie. What I read said she will be playing the role of Ilse in Spring Awakening (a new film adaptation). There’s a short thing on IMDB I just found that lists her, but according to IMDB it’s a very long way off!! I didn’t realize how long off it was until today. It says they start production in spring of 2022 and it’s supposed to be out in 2023… OMG Sounds like we’re waiting for TWOW again 🙂

    I wasn’t that familiar with Spring Awakening until I saw the short lived TV series Rise, where a controversial drama teacher decides the school should do something meaningful like Spring Awakening. He faced censorship by the school board to the point that it didn’t even resemble the same show. Perhaps there’s a GOT tie in. Maybe Maisie will premier in “Spring Awakenings” at the same time “A Dream of Spring” will be released in 2023! What an awesome promotion that would be!

    Yes, I’ve been following her Two Weeks to Live role. It could be a challenge to see in the USA, but I’m up for the challenge! There are various ways to watch SKY using a VPN on a computer, but I think you still need a subscription in the UK. When it comes out, I will find a way!

    Yes, I did quite enjoy watching her onstage in “I and You”.

  99. Black Raven:
    Ten Bears,
    I agree.. Euron was a wanker! A totally waste of space. That final scene with him fighting Jaime on the beach was puerile. Almost as bad as when the Sandsnake took on Jaime and Bronn in the water gardens! I’ve nothing against Pilou and sure he’s a good actor, but was just that dickhead Euron he played 😀

    • That Euron vs. Jaime scene could very well be the winner by a landslide if we had voting for Worst Scene, Worst Dialogue and Worst Waste of Screentime.

    • As that scene began, I thought to myself “WTF? A city of a million people and that clown just happens to wash up next to his romantic rival Jaime? And then tries to kill him because…? Why not just fry Euron on his ship and be done with that cackling clown?”

    • Then, I could not help but hear in my mind a voiceover of Humphrey Bogart as Jaime Lannister: “Of all the beaches on all the the shorelines in all the city, he floats onto mine.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAS4o51tPzA

    • I still don’t understand what the purpose of that encounter was supposed to be.

    • It ended with Jaime wounded but alive and well enough to walk away, and mortally wounded, dying Euron gloating “I’m the man who killed Jaime Lannister.” Huh??? That’s getting mighty close to Monty Python Black Knight-level of denial.

    • I’d seen Pilou A in a brief supporting role in “Lucy” starring Scarlett Johansson. He was okay in that. At some point during his portrayal of Euron he had to be thinking, “What am I doing in this turkey? I’m playing a stupid jackass. I gotta fire my agent.”

    • The Sandsnakes vs. Jaime and Bronn Water Gardens scene was pretty lame too. Jaime and Bronn in their Dornish costumes looked like
    they belonged in a silly old B&W Bob Hope and Bing Crosby flick.

    • The premise of that scene was absurd right off the bat. “Let’s do espionage in broad daylight! We’ll just stroll onto the royal grounds and carry off the Princess who doesn’t want to go, and nobody will notice. Sounds like a plan! What could go wrong?”

    • Oh, and wouldn’t you know it, right when our two bumbling infiltrators arrive on the scene to carry out their harebrained Princess abduction plan, the three Power Puff Girls just coincidentally happen to arrive at the same place to carry out their Princess plan!

    But it did have some redeeming value:
    – Tyene was feisty and cute. I liked her. I liked her flirtation with Bronn. I thought he’d try to save her from Cersei’s dungeon. He didn’t. It never came up. So that went f*cking nowhere.
    – The setting of the Water Gardens (Real Alcazar de Sevilla in Spain) was impressive. What was happening in the foreground — not so much.
    – It’s my understanding the boys vs. girls mini-melee had to be carefully staged to avoid damaging the historical site. I suppose that’s why there was lots of whirling and twirling but little actual contact.
    – Final Tally: Tyene + lush backdrop vs. laughable plan and plotting? I’ll call it a drew.

  100. Ten Bears,

    It was apparently done to add tension, we were supposed to worry that Jaime might not make it to Cersei. I don’t know anyone who wanted him to go back to her (since it was suicide) so that didn’t work. He could have died on the beach and it wouldn’t have made a difference to me.

  101. Jenny:
    Ten Bears,

    It was apparently done to add tension, we were supposed to worry that Jaime might not make it to Cersei.I don’t know anyone who wanted him to go back to her (since it was suicide) so that didn’t work.He could have died on the beach and it wouldn’t have made a difference to me.

    Thanks for that assessment.
    So… The Valonqar was Random Brick #238?

  102. mau:
    Mr Derp,

    I mean it seems that you hated 7 out of 9 movies in Skywalker Saga, so maybe Star Wars just isn’t for you.

    I loved most of the original trilogy, so that portion of Star Wars is for me, thanks. You can keep the prequels and the new trilogy though.

    Frankly, the new films could’ve been good if they’d taken more time to make the scripts solid. The plots are nothing but coincidences and contrivances and the characters are thin without clear motivations…worse yet, they don’t have the same dynamic as the original cast who felt like they became a family organically as the trilogy went on. The new films just feel forced…pun intended, I guess.

  103. Ten Bears,

    I don’t know if it’s accurate, it was in Nikolaj’s post S8 interview. It’s the best reason i’ve seen, otherwise Euron could have died with his fleet and nobody would have missed him. I like to think that both Jaime and Tyrion were the Valonqar, since they led her to her death. Technically. If she’d stayed in the map room, she would have been fine.

  104. Speaking of that fight, can anyone remember why Davos couldn’t take Jaime to that cave in the first place? He took the boat and for some reason Jaime had to use the front entrance. He had to sneak out of camp, he couldn’t sneak onboard a little boat with Davos? I’m sure there is a reason, but I have misplaced it.

  105. Jenny,

    Wasn’t he supposed to sneak into the city in the first place?
    Of course, no one thought it might make no sense to sneak into the city when you know how to sneak into the palace and thus avoid the crowd (and the confusion of the poor audience).
    I don’t think there was a reason. It just suited them better.
    To their defense, it may have been a -not so successful- call back to the scene where Jamie returned to the city after his captivity, where no one recognized who he was. They loved their call-backs in season 8.

  106. Efi,

    That will have to do. I can’t think why someone would sneak into the city when they know of a secret entrance to the Red Keep, but there we are. He got there in the end.

  107. Ten Bears,

    I tried using the ‘Contact Us’ link myself when I read that people were having trouble registering. But I never had a reply. Either it doesn’t work or nobody monitors it.

    Good to have some support anyway! I do think it would be a much better way of having conversations. As you say, topics would stay alive instead of sinking into oblivion. And we could have a lot of fun with topics, like your song idea!

    I’m surprised none of the admin have commented. They must read at least some of the posts, surely? I’m wondering if the subject of the forum is being ignored because nobody wants to moderate it.

  108. Grandmaester Flash: I’m surprised none of the admin have commented. They must read at least some of the posts, surely? I’m wondering if the subject of the forum is being ignored because nobody wants to moderate it.

    They only seem to comment when they want to get snippy with someone. I rarely ever see them comment otherwise and they didn’t seem to catch when some people were using multiple user names, so it’s hard to say if they’re monitoring anything or not. I even stated my suspicions about certain people using multiple names, but I was dismissed outright even though I turned out to be correct a day later.

    I remember emailing them through the “Contact Us” link a while ago too because I was having trouble getting my posts to go through, but I never got a reply either.

  109. Mr Derp,

    Well, it’s disappointing anyway. There’s a platform there that could be used to broaden the scope of the site now that its main subject is drying up – until we get a spin-off or a long-awaited book anyway.

  110. Grandmaester Flash,

    Grandmaester Flash: Well, it’s disappointing anyway. There’s a platform there that could be used to broaden the scope of the site now that its main subject is drying up – until we get a spin-off or a long-awaited book anyway.

    I agree.

    Eh, just say something anti-p.c. That’s usually the one thing that always gets the mods/writers attention on this site.

    I was chastised by one of the writers here for using the word “female” instead of “woman”. Yes, that actually happened. I also used the word “male” in the same sentence, which did not draw the same amount of scrutiny and was apparently acceptable.

  111. Grandmaester Flash:
    Ten Bears,

    I tried using the ‘Contact Us’ link myself when I read that people were having trouble registering.But I never had a reply.Either it doesn’t work or nobody monitors it.

    Good to have some support anyway!I do think it would be a much better way of havingconversations.As you say, topics would stay alive instead of sinking into oblivion.And we could have a lot of fun with topics, like your song idea!

    I’m surprised none of the admin have commented.They must read at least some of the posts, surely?I’m wonderingif the subject of the forum is being ignored because nobody wants to moderate it.

    That’s strange. Maybe they’re away for the holidays? Sue usually curates the Comments under the Posts she writes. Otherwise, it may be difficult for them to monitor all of the Comments Section.

    Still, now would be a really good time to sort out the Forums’ Activation obstacles. Everything you’ve observed is accurate, and I know there have been a flurry of comments from lots of people describing the same or similar registration and activation problems…

  112. Wow, it’s almost like fan-reactions, general viewer/reader-reactions, and critical-reactions are (at best) very poorly correlated amongst each other!!! Other than past evidence from Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, etc., how could we possibly have anticipated such a thing?!?!?

    Groovy 2020, all.

  113. Tron79,

    ”… I searched for what’s next for Maisie Williams today and I discovered she’s going to be in a film version of the musical Spring Awakenings!”

    ——-
    ⚠️ 👸🏻🗡 Caution: Arya thread derailment ahead. News Update Jan. 1, 2020

    It looks like we will finally see Maisie Williams (Wolfgirl Arya Stark on GoT) as Wolfsbane in “X-Men: The New Mutants” after all. A new trailer is coming out in five days: January 6, 2020. The movie will be in theaters April 3, 2020.

    The movie had been filmed back in July-September, 2017, and the first trailer had been released in October, 2017 – announcing the movie would be “coming soon” on April 13, 2018. That release date kept getting postponed and pushed back over and over again. Then there were reports the movie needed reshoots because the studios (Fox, then Disney) demanded changes, followed by rumors the movie would wind up relegated to a streaming platform – or was completely dead in the water and would never come out at all. I remember reading a few months ago that Maisie Williams herself had no reason to be optimistic “New Mutants” would ever be released. So this is all unexpected and welcome news.

    It looks like Maisie Williams’s first post-GoT movie in 2020 will be a film she made back in 2017. And unlike some of her other projects, like the upcoming series “Six Weeks to Live” that only air in the U.K., fans in the U.S. will be able to see this movie.

  114. Wimsey,

    Hey! Where ya been?

    You may not have noticed that lots of folks have lamented that “Ol’ Hangin’ Gun Hisself” hasn’t been around to keep law and order around these here parts.

    Seriously, I’ve been curious about your opinion of the supposedly “divisive” Season 8.

Comments are closed.